


Say Something [Captain Wolf Sneak Peek]

by zoe19blink



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Ruby and Hook are actually really sweet, Teenagers, but also really fucked up, i mean goddamn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:20:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7070812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoe19blink/pseuds/zoe19blink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a sneak peek of a much larger, angsty story I'm writing (Swanfire is also going to be in here, but this sneak peek is specifically Ruby and Hook).<br/> Basically, what you need to know: Storybrooke is a dead-end town, and Emma, Henry, Ruby, Neal, and Killian are all dealing with some heavy shit. Emma and Henry are Ruby's foster siblings, Granny is absuive as fuck, Neal and Killian are best friends, but Killian's mom is an alcoholic and neglectful bitch (Neal's angst is undecided at this point, I'm still working on his backstory); and Ruby is basically a slut who is abused left and right and is baffled as to why Killian Jones, of all people, is pretending to give a shit about her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say Something [Captain Wolf Sneak Peek]

At the sound of his footsteps scuffing into the room, she raised her head, looking over the top of bottle with bloodshot eyes. Killian spared her a brief glance, but didn't say anything as he moved around the kitchen. He could feel her eyes follow him, watching as he rummaged in the (empty) fridge before giving up and wandering over to the coat rack.

 “Where are you going?” she said finally. 

“Out.”

“How long are you going to be gone this time?”

He looked over his shoulder at her sitting on the couch in her ratty yellow bathrobe; her straggly dark hair spilling out of its braid. His stomach lurched as she tipped the bottle back, already losing interest in him. 

He pulled on his jacket, muttering a “See you later, Mum,” before slipping out the door. 

 

* * *

 

 

It was cold: the melancholy kind of cold only a northern summer is truly capable of. Like that one particular little corner of the earth tried to be cheerful and summery, but it was too starved of sunshine to really be anything but a weak, shriveled imitation of summer. 

It was depressing, walking around outside in the chill air, seeing the trees prematurely dying and the leaves already half-frosted. But appropriate, Killian reflected with a grimace. In a hopeless, dead-end town like this, what chance did summer have?

He trudged along the road, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes shifting around to discourage anyone from staring at him. They tended to do that, the people in this town. They went about their own stupid business, planning church meetings and organizing volunteer fundraising events, shaking hands and exchanging laughs over things like lawn mowers and potluck dinners. And then they’d catch sight of Killian on the other side of the street, with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle in his hand. They’d whisper, giving each other scandalous looks, shaking their heads about “ _that boy”_ who was probably _“in and out of jail, who knows where he’s been?”_ and with absolutely no _“sense of morality or respect! Walks around, high on God-only-knows-what, in broad daylight!”_

As always, he simply ignored them. It was a small, simple, narrow-minded town. There was no way working around that mentality; it would be a waste of his time making an effort. 

He shuffled on, frowning against the bitter wind as it riffled his hair. He didn't have a specific destination in mind—he never did. Usually, he just kept walking until his feet carried him to the end of the beach and he had no choice but to sit there and stare at the ocean—which, for all its infinity and freedom, was just another dead end.

It was different today, though, because he didn't go to the ocean. He stopped. 

Maybe she just happened to be there that particular day; maybe it was just the first time he’d noticed her. But there she was: perched on the little fence outside Clark’s shop; one leg drawn up to her chest, the other dangling in the air. She didn't look like a party girl as much in the cold daylight: more like a sad little girl wearing her mother’s heels and smudged lipstick. Killian raised a curious eyebrow, and edged toward her. 

“What’s up, Lucas?” he asked. She seemed startled, sharply turning her head at the sound of his voice; but then her eyes dulled as she recognized him. 

“Oh, it’s you.” She exhaled slowly, turning away from him. “What do you want?”

“To find out I’ve got an estranged rich uncle who died and left me his entire fortune, but I’ll settle for a smoke.” He swung his legs over the fence to sit next to her, and held out his hand, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Ruby flicked her eyes, letting out a derisive scoff, but passed him a cigarette nonetheless.

“Thanks.”

“Mmm.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, every so often taking a drag and exhaling a little cloud of smoke. Killian tapped the ash off his cigarette, and glanced sideways at Ruby. 

“You all right?” he said. “You’re not usually so quiet.”

“Oh, so now we’re friends?” she scoffed.

“All right, fine,” Killian said, waving his hands in mock surrender. “Forget I asked.”

Ruby smiled mirthlessly, and brought the cigarette to her lips. “I’m fine,” she said. 

“Good.”

“Thanks to you.” She blew out another cloud of smoke, and turned her head, giving him a withering smile. “That’s what you wanted to hear, right? _Oh, I don’t know what I would have done without you, you saved me!”_

“Piss off, Lucas,” he muttered around the cig between his teeth. “Just because you don’t know how to be a lady, doesn't mean I don’t know how to be a gentleman.”

Ruby’s smile dropped. “ _Just because I don’t know how to be a lady?”_ she hissed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, I—“ he frowned, a little taken aback by her sudden viciousness. “Calm down, all right? I didn't mean anything by it.”

“You think I ask for these guys to do that?” she whispered, her voice shaking. “You think I _want_ this?”

“No, I—“

“Look, Jones, I’m really fucking grateful, all right, but the last thing I need is another guy acting like  I owe him something. So just do me a favor—leave me alone.”

“Lucas—hey, Lucas, wait—”

 He reached out as she moved to jump off the fence, but she jerked away. “Let _go_ of me!” she screamed, ripping her arm back. “Don’t _touch_ me!”

 _“_ All right, I’m sorry!” he said, staring at her in alarm. Ruby glowered at him, breathing hard, her right hand hovering protectively over her arm. Killian slowly lowered his hands, watching her cautiously.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I didn't mean to scare you, I was just…” His gaze fell to her arm: her sleeve had been pushed back, revealing a dark purple bruise that wrapped around her lower arm. Killian frowned and, ignoring her protests, tugged the sleeve back more to get a better look.

“I said, don’t touch—“

“Who did this to you?” He looked up at her, keeping a firm grip on her sleeve to keep her from running off. “Was it August?”

Ruby glared at him and leaned forward. “Let _go,”_ she growled through her teeth. “It’s none of your business.”

“Do these guys hit you?” he pressed.

“No, okay? No, they don’t hit me.” She pulled her arm back, pushing down her sleeve, and jumped off the fence. Killian immediately followed suit, scrambling after her. 

“Lucas, hey—Lucas!” he called, trying to get her to turn around without actually touching her. “Ruby Lucas!”

She let out a frustrated exhale, but kept walking, her hands curling into fists. “Leave me alone, or I’ll call the police and tell them you’re harassing me.”

“Call the police? You can’t even tell them your boyfriend’s beating the shit out of you!”

“He’s not!” she said, whirling around. “I told you, it wasn’t August!”

“Then who was it?” he insisted. “Someone did that to you, and if it wasn't him—“

“Why do you _care?”_ Ruby cried, half-exasperatedly. “This has nothing to do with you—you don’t even know me! What do you care about any of this?”

“I just…” Killian blinked. “I just don’t think this should be happening to you.”

Ruby smiled bitterly, and stepped closer—close enough that he could feel her breath on his lips, see the tears clinging to her lashes. “Let me tell you something, Jones,” she said. barely above a whisper. “There’s a lot that shouldn't be happening to me, but it does. And you know what? I’ve been handling it just fine without you. So you can just go back to your little motorcycle and play ‘unlikely hero’ with some other girl, because _I’m_ not interested.”


End file.
